Remy Essex Lebeau: Road to Forgiveness
by kaosda
Summary: A/U where Gambit has a different past. This is the story of the Son of Sinister, Remy Essex Lebeau.
1. How I got where I am today

------------------------------------------------------Remy Essex Lebeau: Road to Forgiveness------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:  I have no rights to any recognizable characters contained with in this Fiction Produced by me, a Fan.  All characters are owned by Marvel Comics.  I will not make any money off the story you are about to read.

Summary:  This is an Alternate Universe where Remy Lebeau is the son of Nathaniel Essex (Mr. Sinister) and Maria Lebeau (Jean Luc Lebeau's sister).  This is the story of his life.  Some events taken place in the actual Marvel Universe, but for the most part this is no specific timeframe to place this in.

Now on with the Story…

-----------------------------------------------Chapter One:  How I got where I am today-----------------------------------------

***23 Years Ago…*** 

            Tante Mattie walked into the room with a mixture of sadness and joy in her demeanor.  She turned to look at the two men who had refused to sleep until the ordeal was over.  The first man was a great man whom she had worked with and for, to care for his own son Henri, as well as many nieces and nephews.  The other man was a mystery to her.  He had come into their lives roughly a year ago, he fell into the heart of Jean Luc's baby sister, Maria, and soon she fell pregnant by him.  His name was Nathaniel.  

            "De baby is here, but Maria, de poor fille, did not make it."  Maria said with a tone of regret.

            "Her pregnancy was hard on her, even she knew dat dis might happen!  But it is still so unfair, I refused t' accept it, I should have said m' good-byes."  Jean Luc, a proud and strong man was breaking into tears.  Nathaniel put his hand on his shoulder and started to comfort him.

            "Your sister, my sweet Maria, she was a strong woman, she would not want you to blame yourself for anything that happened.  She would just want to be remembered.  And she will, in your heart, and mine."  Nathaniel spoke comfortingly to Jean Luc.  Jean Luc placed a look of strength and nobility on his face.  

            "Shall we at least go see y'r fils, and my nephew?"  Jean Luc said with no emotion held with in his voice. 

            "Gentleman, before y' go in, there's something you must know, the chille, he has been born wit eyes, eyes o' power.  His pupils burn wit a crimson flame, and surrounded by pure black.  He is destined f'r great things I sense."  The men nodded gracefully at this, as Tante Mattie led them into the room where the baby slept.  Nathaniel Essex trailed behind, with s small smile upon his lips as he thought 'my son is here, and at the cost of a worthless human life.  This boy will be my greatest weapon.'

***One week later…*** 

            "Jean Luc, I have a favor to ask of you."  Nathaniel Essex stood in Jean Luc's study holding his son.  

            "Oui, Nathan, what would dat be?"  Jean Luc said as he strolled over to take his beloved nephew in his arms.

            "I wish for young Remington to be brought up as a guild member.  I have much work to be done, and myself would make a horrible father.  I want you to raise him.  Teach him the things Maria would have taught him."  Nathaniel said flatly.

            "Oui, it would be m' pleasure t' raise m' neveu.  Well y' be around for de boy though?"  Jean Luc asked as he twirled his nephew around.

            "Yes, I will, I will check back upon him, as often as my work allows.  I have dangerous work though, and some people may try to use my son against me.  I want him to know me as his father, but perhaps it would be safer for you to become his legal guardian."  Nathan said with a fake tone of regret.  "It would also be best for his last name to be yours and not mine, but I believe it would be safe for his middle name to be Essex."

            "Well den, young Remy Essex Lebeau, welcome to de guild life."  Jean Luc said with a very cheery voice.  

***Fifteen Years Ago…*** 

            "Mon pere, y' made it.  Did y' bring m' any ting!"  A young boy with demon eyes screeched joyfully as he launched himself into his father's arms.  The man picked his son up and spun him around.

            "Of course my son.  I have gotten your letters, and since it has been a few months since I last saw you, I thought I'd drop by.  Besides, I remember it being your birthday.  As another present, I thought I'd take you to see a play, it's all the way up in Seattle, but it will be fun." Nathaniel Essex presented his son with a wrapped gift.  They took a seat on the couch, where Jean Luc, Tante Mattie, and Henri joined them in the living room.  

            "It's good t' see y' again Nathaniel.  Young Remy here, dat boy has done noting but complain'n about y'r being gone so long dis time."  Tante Mattie said in a playful manner.

            "I hope Remington, you are not giving your Uncle much trouble are you?"  Nathaniel asked.

            "O' course not mon pere!" Remy replied innocently, "and it's Remy…Remington makes m' sound like dat razor dey sell in stores!"

            Nathaniel eyed Jean Luc as if asking if, Remy was being any trouble.  Jean Luc replied "Non, Nathan, he has been a perfect chille, and his training be impressive, coming long, quite well."

            Later that week, after returning from Seattle, Nathaniel and his young son Remy were walking in the garden.  The moon shown brightly, and Remy's face was overjoyed with the presence of his father.

            "Pere, why don' I live wit y'?"  The young boy asked as he looked up at his father.

             "Remington, I would like nothing more, than for you to live with me, but my work is to important.  Besides, your Uncle Jean Luc, he can teach you many things that I cannot, skills that will prove to be quite valuable to you, when you are much older.  Your Uncle treats you well, does he not?" Nathaniel replied softly.

            Oui, Oncle Jean Luc, he treats m' very well."  Remy said, while he gazed down at the ground.  "Will I ever be with you?"  Remy finally asked after they walked for about ten minutes.

            "Yes my son, one day you and I will do great things together."  Nathaniel Essex said in an almost eager tone.

            "I look forward t' dat day."  Remy said as he looked up at his father excitedly.

            "So do I." Was Nathaniel's answer.

***Eleven Years Ago…*** 

            "Remington, you must focus.  Hold the power that flows from you back.  Do not let it consume you, and do not let it leave you!" Nathaniel Essex's tone was harsh and strict.  His son, Remy Lebeau was strained, kneeling upon the ground grasping for air.  His hands glowing, the floor seemed to be charging with a great flaming light.  

            "Pere!  What is wrong wit m'?  It feels like m' whole body gonna burst."  Remy cried out in pain.  

            "Just focus son, it is your power to control, not the other way around.  Just will it back into the recesses of your mind."  Nathaniel spoke more sympathetic this time.  Remy seemed to comply, and the floor's bright charge flowed back into Remy.  His hands began to cool off, and fell to the floor in exhaustion.

            "I don' know if I can control dis, why do I have dis power, is it 'cause of m' eyes?"  Remy asked.

            "No, my son, your eyes are like that because of your power.  Like I said we are destined for great things.  And you will learn to control it, I will be here every step of the way for you."  Nathaniel said as he picked his son from the floor and embraced him into a hug.  

            Remy struggled to look his father in the eyes.  When he was finally able to, he asked, "Y' will?"  Nathaniel Essex just smiled and nodded at his son.  

"Of course I will, would I ever lie to you?"  Remy hugged his father tight.  He knew he was going to be okay, as long as his father would be there with him.

***Six Years Ago…*** 

            "You're a stupid red eyed freak!  How dare y' tink y' could touch 'y sister?  Much less propose t' her.  Not just are y' a dirty freak, whose name on de streets be Le Diablo Blanc.  But you're a thief.  How could y' even tink dat we assasins let y' be wit her!"  Julian Boudreaux screamed in rage.

            "Well, I have y' know mon ami, we did plenty of touching last night!  She screamed for more!  I guess dis thief knows how t' get a fille's concentration of his eyes, non."  The young teenager known as Gambit stated in a very crude voice.

            "I'll have y' head!"  Julian lunged forward with his dueling sword.  Remy swiped it away effortlessly.  Remy knew that Julian's rage would lead to his defeat.  But he reminded himself not to get to cocky, or sloppy.  Rage can also be focused into an intense concentration.  His father taught him that.  'Non, he thought to himself, can not think about him, been almost two years since he's visited me, I need to keep my mind on this fight.'

            "Y' won't be de first person t' want dis Cajun's head.  But y' might be de first one who's not an attractive fille."  Remy berated his older, better built opponent.  Julian lunged at him again.  A serious of swipes and jabs with the two fencing swords continued for several minutes.  Finally blood was shed.  And to Remy's surprise it was his own blood.  Julian had gotten his arm, and he wanted more.  It finally dawned on Remy thst Julian was out for blood.  His blood.

            "Julian!  Are y' mad!  We can' kill one another!  Our families, our guilds will b' out f'r blood!"  Remy exclaimed as if the realization of what was happening finally hit him.  Julian eyes showed no mercy.  They filled with a look of rage, Julian's eyes hunger for his sister's honor.

            "I don' care, y' defiled ma soeur, y' made her impure.  I will have y'r blood upon de end of m' blade!"  With that final statement, Julian lunged forward with his blade.  Remy swiped up with his own, causing Julian to lose grip.  Julian's sword flew through the air.  Upon instinct, Remy thrusted his sword into Julian's chest, right where his heart would be.  Remy withdrew his sword, and watched his opponent fall to the ground.  He lied there, life leaking away.  Remy stared at his sword, with blood grazed along it's deadly edges.  He could barely here the sound of Julian's laughing.  He barely made out Julian's final words.

            "Y' may have killed m', Diablo Blanc, but soon, every assassin in Nawlins will b' efter y'.  Dat will b' m' final revenge."  And with that, Julian took his last breath.

***Four Hours Later…*** 

            Remy Lebeau stood nervously in the shadows that cloaked every inch of this alley.  He awaited for one person in particular hoping he would be there soon.  Only hours after the fight…the duel for honor ended, he was a wanted man.  Him, the Prince of Thieves.  Second heir to the Patriarch of the New Orleans Thieves Guild.  Remy Essex Lebeau, but known to the world at large as Gambit, a master thief, and according to international authorities one of the top five master thieves to ever walk the world.  His whole world came crumbling down tonight.  He let down his Uncle Jean Luc, his cousin Henri, Tante Mattie, as well as his fiancé, Bella Donna Boudreaux.  What would he do now, where would he go?

            "Remy?" a low whisper spoke into the shadows.  Remy watched the figure, and then scanned the area to make sure no one followed him.  Finally Remy left the shadows to embrace the figure.

            "Henri, I am so glad y' came."  Remy said with a forced smile.

            "I don' have much time.  Tante Mattie and mon pere said they understand what happened, dey don' blame y' but we al know y' a wanted man here in Nawlins.  Mon pere sent dis for y'.  It's de place y' can find y'r pere."  Henri said in a said quiet tone.

            "Oui, den I guess dis be au revoir, tell dem, tell dem I loved dem, and I'll miss dem.  Bella to, tell her I'm sorry, dat I never wanted t' hurt her."  Remy said as he hugged his dear cousin, the young man he grew up with.

            "Dey know mon ami.  And Bella knows too.  She gave me dis f'r y'.  She said read it when y' safe."  Henri said as he gave Remy a sealed envelope.  Remy put it in the pocket of his trench coat.  And in a flash, he adorned his sunglasses, and was gone. 

***A Week Later…*** 

            "And this is your room young Remington.  I must say I am quite glad that you are here."  Nathaniel Essex said as he showed his newly arrived son where he would be sleeping.

            "Dis lab, pere, is dis why y' haven't been around lately?"  Remy asked, he so wanted to see his father again.  But not this way, he never wanted to have to flee his home in New Orleans, be exiled because of a woman.   

            "Yes, Remington, it is.  I have several labs like this, my work has blossomed in the past years,  I am so sorry that I have not visited you, my enemies, they would wish to see my work ended, I have been forced into seclusion." Nathaniel Essex said quickly.

            "D'accord." Remy said as he removed his trench coat, tossed his duffel bag in the corner, and flopped upon his bed.  "Well, I'm here now.  I guess dat's a silver lining…non?"

            "Yes, it is my dear boy.  For what its worth, I am sorry.  I am so glad to have you by my side, but so sorry it had to happen like this." Essex said in a convincing tone.

            "Pere…" Remy said, as Essex was about to leave the room.  He turned to face his son, a saddened look upon his face.  "Je vous aime le père." He said in a quiet tone.

            "And I love you to, my son."  With that, Nathaniel Essex left the room.  

            Remy looked around his room, there wasn't much their, but he would make do.  He flipped through his coat and pulled out a deck of cards.  He shuffled them in his hands as he paced back and forth.  Finally he pulled a card out, and held it in front of himself.  It was the Ace of Spades.  It glowed violently in his hands.  He pulled the power back into himself.  Then he pulled something else out of his jacket that he had draped across a chair in his room.  It was the letter from Bella Donna.

Dear Remy,

            I know you did not mean to kill Julian.  When he found out about our engagement, he went hysterical.  He said he would have your blood.  I didn't think he would go that far.  I want you to know that I will always love you.  But with can not be fools, our love wasn't strong enough to work before you killed Julian.  And it sure as hell isn't strong enough now.  For your own safety, I hope you stay away from New Orleans.  We were fools, I am sorry.

Love, Bella Donna

            Remy watched as a ring fell from the envelope.  He held the letter in one hand, the envelope in the other.  He stared down upon the ring with tears in his eyes.  The letter and the envelope began to glow furiously, just as the Ace of Spades had down moment ago.  But instead of drawing the energy back into him self.  He watched as the power ate them away until there was nothing.  He charged them so much, the atoms became unstable, and dispersed, as if they were never in his hands.  Remy looked down upon his hands, usually there was a boom, and explosion.  But this time, it just vanished, he had never been so angry, so hurt, so out of control of his emotions to do something like that.  Just how much power did he behold?

***Later That Evening…*** 

Remy and his father sat in some sort of a dining room.  Their conversation centered on Remy's powers.  His father wanted to know, just what he could do with his powers.  When Remy explained what he usually did, then told him what had happened earlier in his room, his father was quite surprised, and impressed.  His response was:

            "Years ago Remington, I taught you how to control your power, how to hold it back from destroying yourself and others.  Now I will teach you how to harness it.  I want you to continue the fighting lessons your Uncle Jean Luc had taught you, and I also have information that you could easily acquire with your thieving skills for me.  But most of all, I want you to harness that great gift that resides with in you.  What do you say?" he asked his son, with a serious tone of joy.

            "Oui, anything f'r y' mon pere."  Remy stated simply.

***Three Years Ago…*** 

            Remy screamed to his teammates.  "Dis is not what mon pere wanted! We were only s'pose t' capture de dangerous ones!  Dis was suppose t' be an army of mutants dat was gonna kill all of New York!  Dey only kids, dey helpless!  Stop it!  Dey just wanna live in peace!"

            "BOY!  Your father is a Sinister man!  This is exactly what he instructed us to do!  Now I suggest you turn around, run home and take it up with him.  Or prepare to join these pathetic mutants that call themselves Morlocks!"  the cat like man, Remy had come to known as Sabretooth growled fiercely at him.  Then instructed the rest of the Mauraders he had recruited for his father to continue the slaughter.

            Remy could feel the fear flowing around him.  It left the poor mutants who he thought were a threat to society, the pain, the fear, the anguish…all the feelings, every emotion that each Morlock who feel to the ground, or ran in terror felt flowed into him.  It was overwhelming.  His shields couldn't keep it out.  Remy had no choice but to take it all in, and place it with his regret.  Bottle it up and live with it.  He tried to save the Morlocks, but he was too burdened down with the emotions.  He fell to his knees and wept with guilt as he strengthened his walls to keep those emotions he had not yet felt, out.  Once he was able to compose himself, he ran violently away.  He ran as far as he could from the tunnels beneath New York City.  He needed to escape the Morlock Massacre.  A massacre that he had caused.

***A Few Days Later…*** 

            Remy Lebeau stood in the middle of this abandoned theater.  He stood here in Seattle, a place that rained perpetually all the time.  It fit his mood.  The past few years that he was with his father, were great.  He thieving career prospered.  He increased his skills with weapons, as well as hand to hand combat, his natural agility made him feel free, and help in all areas of his life.  Now he waited here, for the man he called father.  He needed to know if what Sabretooth said was true.  And if it was, he needed to make sure that this heartless man who he thought loved him, who he thought was a good man, couldn't trap him with some unknown gizmo of his.  He so hoped that Sabretooth acted with out his father's orders.

            "Remington?  Why have you called me here?  What is the point of this?"  Essex asked his son as he walked unto the stage of this abandoned theater.

            "Y' member when y' brought me here?  I was eight years old.  It was de first time we took a trip t'gether.  Y' said we'd come again.  I have a question, about de tunnels.  I want an answer.  If I don' get de answer I like, den dis will be our last trip t'gether." Remy said bluntly, not even turning around to look at him.

            "Remy, I do not like your tone.  Your will address me with more respect than this!  I am your father!"  Essex said with anger growing in his voice.

            "Did y' order dose mutants killed, de weren't an army like y' said, de were a people, a society.  I watched an entire civilization b' murdered.  I destroyed an entire Civilization because of y' how am I suppose to f'rgive m'self?  How do I make it up t' de world?  I want t' know why?  And why'd y' lie t' m'?"  Remy said in the same blunt uncaring tone.

            "I was told they were an army.  I thought that it was true.  I felt it imperative we get them, before they got the world." Essex said, he sounded sincere, but Remy knew better.  He could feel his father's nervousness.  His empathic powers let him know his father was not being honest.

            "Y' know, one of de first things Jean Luc taught me, was t' never let all your cards be seen.  A good thief keeps something hiding from even dose he cares most about.  A secret weapon.  I have one pere, one that tells m' your lying.  Y' see Gambit, he be no fool.  But Remy Essex Lebeau, he trusted y' he followed y' with out worry.  He believed y'…unconditionally.  He shoulda known better, de people y' had m' gather, dey were all psychotic.  Y' lied to m' y' made me a murderer.  And for dat, y' no longer m' father.  Y' just be Sinister.  Dat's what y'r maurader's call y'.  I heard dem say it in de tunnel."  Remy said devoid of emotion, as he spun on his heal to face the man he now called Sinister.

            "You little brat, you think you can turn on me!  You think you can keep secrets from me.  Yeah I had them killed.  They were genetically worthless.  They was no need for their existence.  I merely trimmed down the gene pool I researched!  How am I to create the most perfect being to stop The Apocalypse, if my specimens, are tainting themselves.  Thos pathetic mutants did not deserve to live.  Now you will come home, and continue to do as I say!"  Sinister was losing his temper.  He never cared for insolence, and in his own son, he hated it more.

            Remy Lebeau removed his sunglasses, his eyes flared with power.  He put his hand to the beamed that he was leaning against minutes before Sinister arrived.  The beam began to charge, than the building began to glow.  Floor boards, chairs.  Everything glowed with a bright flaming color.  Sinister stood in awe.  "Y' think y know m' so well.  Y' remember, y' taught m' t' harness dis gift o' mine. De whole building, be charged to de breaking point, one silent command from me, and we both go boom.  I've read your journals Sinister, I know all about En Sabah Nur, I also know y' ain't immortal.  Y' feel dat, I suggest y' teleport away, de power seeping from de floor, into y' tampered body.  Y' ain't human, I know dat now.  Y' be a monster.  Leave me, I have de power to kill y' and I will.  Out o' respect f'r de man I loved as a father, I'm gonna let y' leave dis time, member dough, dere won' be a next time."  Remy said as boards began to combust.  Seats became a blaze.  The wood splintered barely able to hold the kinetic energy that Remy had charged into it, back.  The air began to heat up with power radiating from the theater.  

            Sinister stood in awe of what he saw unfolding before him, he had underestimated his son.  And he could feel a power that he knew could destroy him pulse through him.  He looked his son in the eyes.  He smiled like the devil and said.  "Young Remington, I always knew you were an Omega, just don't let the power destroy you." And with a flash Sinister teleported, hearing only the sounds of bursting boards, and exploding chairs.

***One Week Ago…*** 

Remy lied in a hotel room, in some city, a beautiful girl lied asleep next to him.  She was just some girl that Remy picked up at some club he had been to earlier that night.  After all, it was the weekend, and it's been awhile, with all the grand heists he been pulling, the careful planning.  He deserved something to release the tension.  To ease the muscles.  Tonight should have done it, maybe if he hadn't left the Television on.

            Remy dreamed that night, not the typical nightmares that usually flooded his slumber.  Those he had grown accustomed to, learn to accept he would be forever hunted for his naive ness, his gullibility, and his stupidity, that fateful sin of his past.  No this nightmare was just one sentence that was spoken over and over in his mind.  'I watched an entire civilization b' murdered.  I destroyed an entire Civilization because of y' how am I suppose to f'rgive m'self?  How do I make it up t' de world?'…and with that came screams, blood, just boiled over.  He could deal with the recurring memories that plague his dreamland, but that one sentence.  He still had not made it up to the world.

            He awoke with a jolt.  The girl that laid next to him, she didn't seem to notice.  He focused on the T.V.  It was the only thing making any noise in the room.  It drawed his attention right away.

_On The T.V:_

"The Legacy Virus is plaguing mutant kind.  Many normal people don't seem to worry about this.  They see it as God's way of smiting the holy.  But there are those few Geneticists that hope to cure.  Many of these Doctor's are accused of being mutant sympathizers.  But there is one Doctor who says its Imperative that all who have knowledge, should try to cure it.  You may ask why, here is former Avenger, and Mutant Doctor himself, Dr. Henry McCoy."  The newswoman on T.V. said.    

"What many people don't understand, is that this plague, much like aids only started out in homosexuals, the Legacy Virus only started in mutants.  But who's to say that it won't spread, to the human population, if that happens, there is no saying if the populace of earth would be able to survive.  It's imperative that all resources be, all information about the Legacy Virus be put towards finding a cure.  This plague upon humanity, and when I say humanity, I mean both humans and mutants, we maybe watching the entire civilization of earth be destroyed."  Hank McCoy said.

Back in the Room: 

            Remy was getting dressed and packing.  Hank McCoy's last sentence plagued his mind.  'I mean both humans and mutants, we maybe watching the entire civilization of earth be destroyed.'  With out waking his sleeping companion, Remy Lebeau left the room quietly.  Thinking to himself, 'Merde!  I can' believe I'm gonna risk dis!  But I know dat Sinister b' a brilliant Scientist, he must have r'searched dis virus, I'm thief, I get de info, help out de world.'

***Present day…*** 

            Remy Lebeau sat outside the door of Xavier's School for Higher Learning.  He was getting no answer at the gate speaker, so he simply led himself to the door in case the Gate was out of Order.  It was simple enough to find one of Sinister's labs, download all the files on the Legacy Virus.  He knew this wasn't enough to make up for what he did all those years ago, but it was a start.  "Save de World, one day atta time, I guess…" Remy muttered as he pressed the doorbell yet…again.  He could hear a voice scream from in the house.

            "Ah'm coming, woulda ya'll just calm ya'slef dawn!"  A sweet southern voice rang from inside seconds before the door opened.  Remy's sunglass hidden eyes stared straight into a pair of bright green emeralds.  "Can ah help ya Sugah?" 

A/N:  Ok, chapter one done, most of the chapters won't be this long, but I wanted to squeeze out who exactly Remy Essex Lebeau was into this one.  All the X-men that we meet will basically have the same history as they do in the comics.  So review and let me know what you thought of it, if you want more, or if you think I should scrap de whole thing.  


	2. Breakfast at Xavier's

-----------------------Remy Essex Lebeau:  The Road to Forgiveness-----------------

Disclaimer:  I have no rights to any recognizable characters contained with in this Fiction Produced by me, a Fan.  All characters are owned by Marvel Comics.  I will not make any money off the story you are about to read.

Summary:  This is an Alternate Universe where Remy Lebeau is the son of Nathaniel Essex (Mr. Sinister) and Maria Lebeau (Jean Luc Lebeau's sister).  This is the story of his life.  Some events taken place in the actual Marvel Universe, but for the most part this is no specific timeframe to place this in.

Now on with the Story…

------------------Chapter Two:  Breakfast at Xavier's-----------------------------

***Present day…***

            Remy Lebeau sat outside the door of Xavier's School for Higher Learning.  He was getting no answer at the gate speaker, so he simply led himself to the door in case the Gate was out of Order.  It was simple enough to find one of Sinister's labs, download all the files on the Legacy Virus.  He knew this wasn't enough to make up for what he did all those years ago, but it was a start.  "Save de World, one day atta time, I guess…" Remy muttered as he pressed the doorbell yet…again.  He could hear a voice scream from in the house.

            "Ah'm coming, woulda ya'll just calm ya'slef dawn!"  A sweet southern voice rang from inside seconds before the door opened.  Remy's sunglass hidden eyes stared straight into a pair of bright green emeralds.  "Can ah help ya Sugah?"

            Remy Lebeau could not help but let his mind wander as he concealed eyes drifted up and down the beautiful woman's body.  He forcibly had to remind himself why he came here.  It was not to pick up a girl; it was to help the world.  If only in a small way as getting some research from one evil geneticist, to a seemingly good one he had seen on T.V.

            "Bon Jour chere…" Remy started as he took the young ladies hand that stood in the door, and placed a small kiss upon it.  It was gloved, but he did not let this dissuade him, after all, theirs no harm in being polite he thought.  "I b' looking f'r Doctor McCoy, would he b' available?"  He finally asked as he let go of her hand.  

            "Ah can check, may ah ask who yah are?  What yah need tha good Doctor for, and how yah got past the gate?"  The young green-eyed lady asked.  

            "M' names Remy, I….I uh climbed de gate when no one answered de speaker phone, I figured it must b' broken or something.  I saw de Doctor on de news 'bout a week ago.  He was talking 'bout de Legacy Virus, and I have some information for him."  Remy answered.  He hadn't thought about explaining how he got past the gate, it was an impulse, maybe one he should have ignored.  

            'Professah?  Can yah hear meh?' the young lady tried to project her thoughts to Professor Xavier, the Headmaster of the School, and the world's most powerful telepath.  

            'Yes Rogue, what do you need?' the Professor answered her back with his telepathy in her mind.

            'There's a man here, wanting tah talk tah Hank, he says he has some information on tha Legacy Virus, but he was able tha jump the gate, that's kind of suspicious, what should ah do?' Rogue projected back to the Professor.

            'He's right the in front of you?' the Professor asked via telepathy.

            'Yup, right smack dab in front of meh, at tha door.' Rogue answered.  

            'I can't sense him…let him in, but keep a close eye upon him.  I am going to have Hank meet us up in the foyer.' The Professor replied, and then informed Beast of his visitor.

            "Why doncha follow meh, sugar, Ah'll go give Hank a call." Rogue said to Remy, and allowed him to enter the mansion.

            "Chere, y' t'ink I could have a name t' call y' by?" Remy asked, he was a little confused by the thirty seconds of silence.  But he brushed it off to her debating whether or not to allow him in.

            "Rogue, everyone calls meh Rogue." Rogue replied.

            "Dat's a beautiful name chere."  Remy said as they entered the foyer.  Rogue blushed at his comment, than quickly realized that she would have to fake buzz Hank, or their mysterious guest might become a little suspicious.  She did so, and moments later, Professor Xavier and Beast entered the foyer.  

            "Professor, Hank this is Remy." Rogue said to the newly arrived duo.

            "Hello sir, I am Dr. McCoy, and this is the headmaster of the school, Professor Xavier.  I am told you have some information on the Legacy Virus." Hank said as he extended his hand to Remy.

            "Bon Jour Doctor…" Remy then turned his head to the Professor and extended his hand.  Professor Xavier took his hand and noticed their guest oozed courtesy and politeness.  Even with the young man standing right in front of him, the Professor could barely acknowledge his mind.  "And Good Morning Professor.  Oui, I do have some research dat I t'ought may help y' on y'r studies.  I saw y' on de news, and figured maybe y' could put dis to good use."  Remy said as he produced several disks from his trench coat.  He handed them to Hank.  "Dat's all I came here f'r.  I hope it helps."  Remy said as he began to turn around.

            "Wait Remy, you haven't said to whom the research is from, and who I might confer with on these findings, let alone if this research does lead to a cure or a breakthrough of some kind, who I might credit for it."  Hank said, he knew that the Professor wanted to learn a little more about the young man, who was able to shield himself so well.  He was also unsure of what he could make of what ever research the young man brought to him.

            "Non, de man wouldn't want any credit, and y' better off not knowing him.  I got de information from him, cause I knew he didn' care f'r finding a cure.  Anyways, it was a long trip here, and I haven't eaten yet, so I t'ink I will bid y' farewell."  Remy said very quickly.  He didn't want these people involved with Sinister.  Hell he wished he had never been involved with Sinister.  

            "Remy, if you are hungry, maybe I could offer you breakfast.  You have brought one of my students something that may help his own research, the least I can do is offer you a meal."  The Professor interjected.  He was trying anything he could to keep the young man here.  But yet he was unsure how to approach the young man about his remarkable mental shields.  'Hank, why don't you go take a look at what our young guest has brought, maybe if you have questions about the research, we might be able to persuade him to give us the name of the geneticist who did that research.' The professor said telepathically to Hank.  

            "Well Remy, it was a pleasure to meet you, and I thank you for this gracious gift.  I surely hope there is something here I will be able to use."  Hank said while shaking Remy's hand once again.  

            "No need to t'ank m' yet.  Y' don' know if dere is anyt'ing dere y' can use."  Remy said, Hank then proceeded to his lab.

            "Remy why don't you follow me to the dining room.  Rogue do you think you could cook something up for him."  The Professor said.

            "Non, dere be no need for de fille t' trouble herself…" Remy started, but was interrupted by Rogue.  

            "Now sugah, cooking ya'll something tah eat would be mah pleasure."  Rogue said very sweetly to Remy.  The professor had said something via telepathy about trying to keep him here a little longer, so of course she put on her best southern belle act.

            With that said the Professor and Remy proceeded to the dining room, and Rogue took off to the kitchen.  She was silently cursing her luck; she had just finished cleaning up from breakfast.  Now she would have to dirty even more dishes.  

            "Do you have a last name Remy?"  The professor asked trying to make small talk.  

            "Oui, de name be Remy Lebeau.  Y' have a nice place here, de mansion seems t' be early ninetieth century, but renovated very nicely."  Remy said as he took in his surroundings.  He now sat back in a very comfortable chair, he had one leg strewn up over the arm of the chair and slouched into it very nicely.  

            "Why yes it is, do you have a fondness for architecture?"  The Professor asked.  The Professor also noted that Remy had taken on a more relaxed composure to his surroundings, still very polite and his shields didn't falter one bit, but seemed more at ease.  Towards they end of their conversation in the foyer, Xavier had noted that Remy seemed to have tensed up.  He also noted that Remy had yet to take off his sunglasses.  He wondered why.  When he was about to ask, Rogue entered with Remy's breakfast.  

            "Here yah go sugah, I hope yah enjoy it."  Rogue said, she then took a seat down beside the Professor, she knew the suspicions that the Professor and Hank were having about the young man, mainly cause she herself had them.

            "Merci Rogue, it smells delicious, I'm sure t' enjoy it."  Remy said as he began to eat.

            "Sugah, why do yah keep your sunglasses on?  Yah know when ah was growing up, mah momma taught me that was rude."  Rogue said, she herself was curious, was he trying to hide something? She thought to herself.

            "I beg y'r pardon chere, but m' eyes, dey be very sensitive to light."  Remy answered.  With that question he began to feel very nervous again.  Why did he have to stay for breakfast he thought, why didn't he just mail the disks?  

            "Ah was wondering, tha gate is pretty high up, how were ya'll able to climb it?"  Rogue asked, this particular bit of information was really annoying her.  The Professor also wondered this, if the young man had meant them harm, why would he be so obvious about it by scaling their gates?  And what were with the young man's mental shields, close to a half an hour now he had been examining them.

            "Remy grew up in de bayou, trees dere much taller den de gates y' got out front; I'm very sorry if m' climbin' dem upset y', but I wanted t' make sure Dr. McCoy got de disks."  Remy said, he mentally kicked himself again.  What had come over him this morning?

            "No harm Remy, you didn't steel anything, and I well make a note of it to have the Gate Speaker checked out." The Professor answered him, he once again could see the tenseness take over the young man's body, especially at the mention of stealing.  He didn't want to scare him off before Beast had had a chance to look over some of those disks.

            "Tha Bayou, den dat accent's Cajun?"  Rogue asked, she had decided to be a little less interrogative, and maybe try some friendly small talk.  She also could sense his tenseness.  She could see in the way he was holding himself that he was nervous.  She didn't want to be the reason, if he decided to bolt.

            "Oui, born and raised in Nawlins.  And y'r accent, I detect something from de south, non?" Remy asked raising an eyebrow at her, and casting her his awards winning, charm spreading smile.  He noticed Rogue blushed at his wink, 'he still had it' he thought, and 'all de femmes fall f'r m' smile.'  

            "Yah, born just off the river in Mississippi…" Rogue started to respond but was interrupted by Remy who had place a very cute smirk onto his face.  She fought her blushing down again.  'This man's a stranger, I shouldn't be checking him out…until I know a little more about him...'

            "Huh, I knew y' be a cute lil Mississippi River Rat."  Remy said as he finished the breakfast that Rogue had prepared.  "I was right, dat was a delicious breakfast.  Merci."

            "No problem, Ah'm glad yah enjoyed it."  Rogue said with a smile and stood to collect the dirty dishes.

            'Professor, after looking at some of the information contained on these disks, I am quite excited, but yet quite confused.' Hank McCoy projected towards Professor Xavier.  He was thankful that the Professor always kept his mind open to his projections.  It always made for quick communication.

            'How so Hank?' the Professor asked back in telepathy.

            'Well, so far, I have a complete diagnostic on the Legacy Virus in it's pure form.  I mean, that's what it's labeled as, and as far as I can tell this is how it's pure form should look.  But what confuses me, and scares me even, is in the notes under this diagnostic; it lists Stryfe as the person who this sample was received from.  Whoever this young man got these disks from, has had contact with Stryfe before his death, also this geneticist knew who Stryfe was, I keep thinking back to Remy saying this Doctor didn't care about finding a cure.  I think it's imperative we find out whose research this is!'  Hank said to the Professor rather quickly.

            The Professor nodded to himself, Remy had just started to stand once the Professor finished his telepathic conversation with Hank, he knew he would have to come straight out and ask, this young man may have had contact with Stryfe himself, one of the X-Men's mostly deadly enemies.  He felt he needed to notify Remy of what kind of danger he may be in, associating with people such as this.  

"Y' t'ink I could use de bathroom Professor?"  Remy asked before the professor could say anything.

***The X-Mansion Hangar***

            The Blackbird had just landed in the hangar and several X-men exited it.  First came Phoenix and Cyclops, they looked haggard and tired.  Followed closely by Archangel and Psycloke also looking quite tired.  Iceman trailed after them, closely, they all turned around to face the Blackbird's exit ramp.  Sabretooth stumbled down the ramp, his hands locked in full metal cuffs that covered his deadly claws.

            "Watch it Runt!  I can walk on my own you know!"  Sabretooth growled back to Wolverine who had shoved him down the ramp.  

            "Shut Up Tooth, you think you can terrorize a small town, and I ain't gonna come bust ya up.  Doubtful old man."  Wolverine growled back.  Sabretooth whipped around to face him as Wolverine went to poke him in the back.  Sabretooth caught Wolverine's arm in his own and wrapped his cuffed hands around it, before the other X-Men could react, Sabretooth had used his own body weight to throw Wolverine at Iceman, Archangel and Psycloke, who conveniently stood very close together.  

            Almost on instinct, Iceman iced up and went to blast Sabretooth, Sabretooth leaped out of the way and the ice blast hit Phoenix.  Wolverine collided with Archangel, Psycloke and Iceman seconds latter, dazing the three of them and knocking Wolverine unconscious.  Cyclops shot one of his eye beams at Sabretooth; Sabretooth spun and raised his cuffs into the beam.  This shattered his cuffs and freed his claws.  Knowing full well if he stayed to fight again he would be surely captured.  He made a full sprint for the door marked mansion.

            Iceman was the first of the other four up, he was thrown clear of Wolverine, Archangel and Psycloke, and he glanced over at his teammates.  It seemed Wolverine had been temporarily knocked out, pinning Archangel and Psycloke to the ground underneath his heavy body, which contained an adamantium laced skeleton.    Cyclops was busy trying to free his wife Phoenix from Iceman's misaimed ice prison.  Iceman ice slided his way to the door just before Sabretooth got there.  In an attempt to stop the vicious monster, he blocked the way and was bout to ice the door, but Sabretooth slashed Iceman's side, shattering it.  Iceman fell to the ground clutching his side.  Even though he was in his ice form, it still hurt.  Sabretooth bounded through the now unguarded door.

***Back in the Mansion's Dining Room***

            Rogue had returned to the dining room just after Xavier had told Remy where the restroom was.  She was sitting next to Xavier, eagerly anticipating Remy's return.  He was a mystery and wanted to know more.  Then a strong psychic cry could be heard from Betsy Braddock a.k.a. Psycloke.

            "Beast! Rogue! Prof. X!  Sabretooth is loose in the mansion.  Wolverine is unconscious, Bobby's side is shattered, he's trapped in ice form, and Jean is de-thawing.  Cyclops and Archangel our en route behind him, but I'm afraid my leg is broke from when Logan landed on me.  Be ready!"

            Rogue got up and readied for battle, the Professor started to back his chair away from the door closest to the Hangar, but before either of them could react, Sabretooth leapt through the door and grabbed the Professor before he landed.  Beast, Cyclops and Archangel all came charging in and stopped abruptly next to the spot that Rogue was floating above.  They all were poised ready for battle at the sight of Sabretooth holding their mentor up in the air by the back of his throat.

            "Not one step X-men, or the Prof dies!"  Sabretooth growled with the sound of bloodlust in his voice.

            "Sabretooth, if you do anything to him, there will be a hole in your chest courtesy of my eyebeams!"     Cyclops threatened.

            "Come on kitty-cat, why donchya take on someone more ya'll league."  Rogue shouted from the spot where she floated.

            'Professor!  Can't you shut his mind down!' Hank projected towards the Professor.

            'I can't…it's gone feral, theirs nothing I can do!' the Professor replied through his telepathy sounding so helpless.

            Sabretooth's nose rose to the air as a scent he had not smelled in a long time wafted upon his nostrils.  Than his ears perked up at the sound of something off to his left, he turned his head slowly making sure not to take his eyes of the X-Men.  He caught glimpse of the person the scent belonged to.  It belonged to a certain Cajun that he had wanted to gut for a long time.  "Lebeau!  Well, isn't this my lucky day!" he growled almost happily.

            "I take it dis ain't no ordinary school, hehn Professor?"  Remy said as he glared through his glasses at Sabretooth.  Rogue, Professor Xavier and Beast all wondered where this was going, as the other two X-Men that were in the room wondered who this young man was.  "Been long time Tooth, non?"  He said as he casually leaned against the doorframe.

            "Yeah pup it has!  Almost three years, you have no idea how good it is to see your ugly face.  Now lose those damn glasses and look me in the eyes for once!"  Sabretooth said whilst his mouth salivated.

            "Good t' see m'?  Den I guess de pleasure b' all y'rs…" Remy said as he brought his hands up to his sunglasses and removed then.  His eerie crimson red on black velvet eyes glowed slightly in the room.  Gasps could be heard from the direction of the X-Men.  "Why don' y' let de old man go, and we can dance, eh Tooth?"  

            "I'll kill you, Cajun don't you realize it yet?"  Sabretooth said as his face twisted into an evil smile.

            "Oui, maybe…but if I kill y' den justice be served, if y' kill m', justice still b'ing served."  Remy said nonchalantly.

            "You still hung up on those tunnels boy.  You know he was irate after he returned from Seattle."  Sabretooth said with a hint of joy in his voice.

            "Y' still working f'r de mad man?  Tell m' Creed…y' still his lackey?" Remy asked in a crude way.

            "Tell me Lebeau, where you been the past three years?  Your father's been worried."  Creed asked with a vicious laugh.

            "Dat man isn't m' father, and y' murder dem!  We murdered dem!  De tunnels haunt m' t' dis day.  Y' gonna pay now Creed!"  Remy spun around quickly loosing his trench coat in the process, unleashing three flaming cards aimed at the floor beneath his feet and extending a six foot adamantium bo staff in the process.

            The cards struck the floor before Sabretooth, this through Sabretooth back, who in turned released his grip on the Professor.  Rogue flew quickly and caught him; she brought him back behind the X-Men.  Sabretooth stood to stare at Remy, who now stood offensively with one hand holding his adamantium staff slanted behind his back, and his other hand holding three more flaming cards.  

            The X-men were surprised by the sudden turn of events, quickly trying to figure out what was happening.  What tunnels were they referring to?  Was this some kind of set up, and how should we defuse the situation?

Sabretooth snarled at Remy.  "Pup, your gonna bleed for that!  I'm gonna gut you long and hard then send your carcass back to Sinister."

"Y' t'ink y'r ready to play wit Gambit, mon ami?  Cuz Gambit definitely ready t' play wit y'!"  Gambit said with a tone that could be considered as deadly serious, but with a hint of suaveness.  

To Be Continued…

A/N:  Thanks for all those who reviewed.  I was going to update my X-Men Evolution Fic: Redeeming Myself, but I decided in updating this one today, mainly because of the amount of reviews I got in such a short time.  I hope that this chapter didn't let anyone down.  It wasn't as long as the last one, that's just the way chapters come out sometimes.  If you like this fic, then I encourage you to read the one I mentioned above, and review there to.  In the next Chapter, you can look forward to a slam down fight between Sabretooth and Gambit, I just love these two fighting.  I've got at least the next two chapters planned out, and after that I guess we'll have to see how everyone liked it, if I extend it past there.  Thanks for the reviews in advance on this chapter.

Now for those that reviewed Chapter One:

Trepidatio, Taurus, !!!!, Shawnee:  Thanks for the positive comments.  It was much appreciated.  

Bronny:  I'm glad you caught on that I was working towards a point in the future, I've had that idea in my head for awhile, I hoped that if people caught on to what I was doing, they'd enjoy the back story of Remy Essex Lebeau a little more.  The point of the story is pretty much in the title; this is Gambit's story, and his journey towards forgiveness.  I'll leave you with one thought though; whose forgiveness lies at the end of this road?

Dark Elf:  This chapter wasn't as long as the last, and this is probably what the length of the remaining chapters will be.  Well he met Rogue, Professor, and Beast in this chapter, but they wasn't that much drama their, this chapter was mainly a lead in to the next.  

Ishandahalf:  I'm not sure how much into the romance part I am going to go for the first part of this story, but I'll have you know, I never would or could write anything but Remy/Rogue.  If you could see my wall, you'd see the comic X-Treme X-men X-Pose #2 in a nice little comic frame.  It has a cover of Gambit and Rogue almost kissing if you don't know. That's the copy I specifically bought to display.  It replaced Uncanny X-men #385 alt cover, which was a Rogue/Gambit cover, and that one replaced Gambit #16, which held Gambit and Rogue kissing, (btw I hate that issue, its where Rogue and Gambit broke up) And that one replaced X-Men #24, the first classic Rogue/Gambit cover in my opinion.  But you just wait for Chapter Nine of Redeeming Myself which should be up late Wednesday night if I get ambitious, but definitely Thursday night if you want Rogue/Remy moments to make your heart swell.  


	3. I Know You

----------------------Remy Essex Lebeau:  The Road to Forgiveness-----------------

Disclaimer:  I have no rights to any recognizable characters contained with in this Fiction Produced by me, a Fan.  All characters are owned by Marvel Comics.  I will not make any money off the story you are about to read.

Summary:  This is an Alternate Universe where Remy Lebeau is the son of Nathaniel Essex (Mr. Sinister) and Maria Lebeau (Jean Luc Lebeau's sister).  This is the story of his life.  Some events taken place in the actual Marvel Universe, but for the most part this is no specific timeframe to place this in.

Now on with the Story…

--------------------------Chapter 3:  I Know You-------------------------------------------------

The X-men were surprised by the sudden turn of events, quickly trying to figure out what was happening.  What tunnels were they referring to?  Was this some kind of set up, and how should we defuse the situation?

Sabretooth snarled at Remy.  "Pup, your gonna bleed for that!  I'm gonna gut you long and hard then send your carcass back to Sinister."

"Y' t'ink y'r ready to play wit Gambit, mon ami?  Cuz Gambit definitely ready t' play wit y'!"  Gambit said with a tone that could be considered as deadly serious, but with a hint of suaveness.  

Sabretooth lunged towards Gambit, Gambit swiftly brought his bo staff from behind him to in front of him catching Sabretooth in the chest and rolling with him, tossing him back.  Sabretooth crashed into the far wall and was hit by several exploding playing cards.  This however was not enough to disarm him for long; he regained his composure and advanced on him again.

The X-Men stood at the side of the room watching this quickly escalating battle.  Professor Xavier had informed those currently there of the young man.  

"Professor, shouldn't we intervene!"  Warren shouted impatiently.

'No, I think we should see how this plays out!' Professor Xavier shot back telepathically.  He was thinking that some of their answers could be brought out in this exchange between Remy and Sabretooth.

Rogue was quite impressed with the young man she had met just forty-five minutes earlier.  Not only was he quite handsome, but also his eyes were entrancing.  And he was going toe to toe with Sabretooth.  Not many people could do that.

Scott and Warren were very irate.  Sabretooth had gotten the jump on them, they had teammates injured in his escape, and the Professor was delaying this fight by letting some stranger brawl with the animal in their dining room.  Thankfully Beast had been dispatched to the hanger to tend to those who were injured.

"You've gotten better pup, but tell me…I've been seriously wondering what you been up to since the last time I had a chance to gut you!"  Sabretooth growled as he rose once again.  Gambit had dropped his nonchalant ness to the fight and was now serious and focused.  And he was getting the better of Sabretooth.  This angered Sabretooth to no end.  

"Oh, y' know, dis and dat.  Got m' self a nice collection o' rare paintings.  Maybe y' and Gambit, we talk bout dem over coffee some time.  Non?"  Gambit asked sarcastically as Sabretooth flipped towards him and swiping his arm.  Gambit leapt from the attack but was caught in the arm.  "Look Creed, y' finally drew blood!"

"Pup I'm gonna gut y' now!  I don't care what you 'father' will say!"  With this Sabretooth raced towards him.  His claws swiped his sides, but this time got him deep.  Gambit didn't retreat; he dropped his bo staff that he was using to propel himself around the room.  He clutched Sabretooth's tattered uniform and charge it with the explosive kinetic energy that was his to wield.  

"Now, now 'Tooth.  Gambit let's go o' y' and dere be nothin' stopping y'r uniform from 'ploding.  Gambit put 'nough Kinetic energy in here t' blow y' body t' de point it ca heal it'self."  Remy said through clenched teeth.  The cut was deep.  But it would heal.  Like all the others that he had gotten from assassins when he was younger.  

"Your gonna kill me, just like you helped killed all those others.  Those tunnels pup, it was a massacre.  Go ahead, put one of their murderers into the ground.  Well that help you sleep at night.  Let me ask you something, I got paid for my part, what did you get, Daddy's pat on the back."  Sabretooth growled out with anger.

The Professor sat there in Rogue's arm wondering where this exchange was coming from.  So much anger and violence.  And Remy's rage only increased at the mention of his father.  Who was this young man's father?  And what were these tunnels that Sabretooth kept referring to?  As if to answer the Professor's unspoken question, Warren suddenly gasped, releasing just a couple words from behind him.

"The Morlock Massacre…the tunnels…. almost three years ago."  Warren let out.  It made sense; Sabretooth kept referring to the tunnels.  He said it's been three years since he'd seen this young man.  These two individuals had a hand in taking his wings…. turning him towards Apocalypse.  

Scott let Warren's words dawn on them.  They were shocked; they thought that Sinister and the marauders were the only ones involved in the morlock massacre.  But the way the two fighting figures were going on and on, it would appear there were both involved in it.  'Could this young man be a marauder?'  

            That thought also rang through Rogue's mind.  He seemed too polite to be a marauder.  But yet that's what logic would deem as a correct assumption here.  But why would he bring info to Hank about the Legacy Virus, and was that regret she heard within the young man's voice.

Gambit looked Sabretooth in the eye, rage boiling over.  He fought to control his emotions, and spoke in a shrill murderous tone.  "Tooth, Gambit gonna tell y' de truth.  Y' wanna know what I got from his pere.  I got nightmares…everyday for de last t'ree years.  But I'm not gonna kill y'…Remy gonna make y' feel pain."  With that Gambit pushed Sabretooth back, quickly bent down and snatched up his bo staff, he then connected it in Sabretooth's chest and sent him flying towards the other side of the room.  When Sabretooth connected with the wall there was huge explosion that rocked the room and blew a hole in the side of the building.  Sabretooth's uniform had exploded.  Leaving behind a very charred Sabretooth with chunks of flesh missing from his body.  Gambit said one more sentence before he dropped to his knees and grasped the deep cuts on his side and passed out from the blood loss.  "Dealer wins…just not your day…"

***X-men's Infirmary…Later that day***

            Remy had come to consciousness.  He did not open his eyes, he couldn't remember where he was at first, and not unusual for someone who drank on the weekends as much as he did, but this was different.  He was in pain, not the normal massive headache pain, but the, I feel like I just had a run in with some big nasty psychotic person pain.  'Oh wait…I did.'

            "Your awake bub, I can hear your breathing change, why don't open your eyes?"  A gruff sounding voice came from the other side of the room.  Remy complied, a bit reluctantly but he did.  He opened his eyes and saw a short man sitting in a chair next to a giant glass capsule.  "I heard this was your handy work.  Good job I must say so…"

            "T'anks mon ami…I tink…"  Remy replied as everything came flooding back to him.  "So am I a prisoner?" he asked.

            "Why would you think that?"  The voice of Professor Xavier came flooding into him the room.  Gambit pushed himself up and looked towards the door.  

"I can feel de untrust floating in de room Professor." Gambit stated a matter of factly.

"Well the fact that a powerful mutant managed to gain entry to this mansion, and destroy are dining room, and seemingly has ties to Sabretooth, Mr. Sinister, and a dead mutant named Stryfe…" Scott would have went on but was cut off by the Professor.

"Scott let me handle this, if you can not remain silent then I suggest you wait outside…" but much to everyone's shock the Professor was interrupted by a shrill that came from just outside the corridor.

"Remy Essex Lebeau!  By the goddess is that you!" and with a gust of wind a young African American woman came rushing into the room.  She was at Remy's side hugging him tightly.

"Ororo?" Remy said between winces.  

"Goddess how long has it been?  Six years?"  Ororo said softly.

"Oui, since de banishment.  What y' doing outta Nawlins?"  Remy said in a tone of disbelief.

"Well shortly after you left…I returned to Africa…to my tribe."  Storm said.  The others were shocked, their usually collected resident Weather Goddess was breaking into tears.  

"Storm, I think you might be causing my young patient some unneeded discomfort."  Hank said as he to entered the room.  

"So sorry Remy…I didn't mean…" but she was cut off.

"Storm you know this young man?"  The Professor asked.

"Yes, the man who raised me after my parents death sent me to some 'colleagues' of his for about two years when I was sixteen.  Remy was one of the man's nephew."  She said as she collected her usual poise.

Logan looked at Remy lying there; he stared intently at the young man, as if he recognized him from somewhere.  Than it clicked.  Madripoor, Viper's bar, the others said his name was Gambit.  "So how's the business, Cajun?" Wolverine asked all of a sudden.

Remy eyed the gruff looking older man.  He raised one eyebrow as he recognized Logan.  "Mon deau…Raven's friend, non?"  He asked slightly perturbed.

"I wouldn't call her my friend, but yeah two years ago Madripoor, you were having a meeting with Mystique, then her and I started to throw punches.  You didn't interfere, I respect you for that bub, but what I want to know is what in flaming hell is a master thief doing at the mansion, and don't give me no crap bout Legacy Virus info…"

"Logan!" Storm scolded.  "I would appreciate it, if I could have some time with Remy.  I feel I should be able to get the information you all want."  

Scott and Logan didn't look like they wanted to leave, but the professor had the up most confidence in Storm, and prompted them out.  Logan's voice could be faintly heard in the hallway "I'd count the good china before he leaves…if you even let him leave Chuck."

"So, how y' doing Stormmy?" Remy asked as he lay back in the hospital bed.

Storm shook her head very sullenly.  "Better than you I suppose Remy, Hank says that he was able to treat your wounds very nicely, and there should be no scarring.  But he mentioned similar scars that look a few years old?  I take it your life hasn't been easy?  Would you tell me about how you got caught up with all these people, and if you were involved in the Morlock Massacre?"

Remy looked down into his lap as she uttered the words 'Morlock Massacre' Images of the past flooded into his mind.  "What a day, t' tink of all de old people from de past t' run into.  Remy shoulda stayed in bed.  Now I just need a visit from mon pere, dat make Gambit's day."  Gambit looked up into Storms eyes and felt a wave of emotion smash right into him.  Sadness, relief, joy…fear?  'Why would she be feeling fear?'  He thought to himself.  Gambit hoisted himself out of bed and looked at Storm.  "Why don' we go f'r a walk, hehn…catch up on all de old times."  Storm helped him up and they were off.

***Xavier's Study…Later that Evening***

            Xavier had asked that all X-Men available be present for Storm's debriefing about their new houseguest.  Angel, Cyclops, Wolverine, Rogue, Beast, Iceman and Jean were able to attend.  

            "His name is Remy Lebeau, I knew him about six years ago, when I lived in New Orleans.  His Uncle was the Guild Leader of the Thieves Guild.  This particular branch is said to turn out the very best of the best.  I can only imagine that Remy is one of them.  Especially by your own knowledge Logan."  Here she looked at her teammate, Logan nodded and she continued.  "He was banished, he had proposed to his girlfriend, she accepted, her brother was furious.  He ended up defending himself, and killed the other man.  The major problem was his girlfriend and her brother were the daughters of the New Orleans Assasin's Guild.  A blood feud would have been waged and both their clans probably would have been destroyed.  It was my understanding he was going to live with his father."

            "That's all good and well, but what I want to know, is did he help kill the Morlocks?  Did he help take my wings?"  Warren shouted with a most furious tone.  Jean placed her hand on his back comfortingly.

            Storm looked down here, but only for a second.  She raised her head and spoke clearly.  "He told me that after awhile with his father, he came in contact with a being he knew as Sinister.  This man soon became his employer, miscellaneous jobs, acquiring data, in return for helping him learn to harness his mutant gift.  He then went on to tell me how he was told of a dangerous mutant army preparing to wage war on New York, and how he was instructed to assemble a team capable of decimating the army and lead them there.  It was when they arrived and the killing started that he tried to stop them, things did not go over well, it was then he broke off his connections to Sinister."  Storm promptly finished.

            "Well, for the past couple years the damn thief has made a name for himself.  They say if you got the money to afford him, anything you want is yours.  One of the most wanted international jewel thieves, as well as the man to talk to in you need information.  Like I said, I met him about a year ago doing some kind of job for Mystique."  Logan said flatly.

            "I say we lock him up!  The murderer!"  Angel was furious.

            "You will NOT!"  Storm said sternly glaring at Angel.  

            Scott than stood up, "He's a professional thief, and he helped cause one of the worst things the X-Men have ever seen!"  Bobby Drake stood behind him, to show his support.

            Jean went and placed a hand on Scott's shoulders.  "We can't lock him up Scott, by all accounts, many of us should be locked up, in fact the X-Men as a team are wanted vigilantes."

            "Please every one sit down, I would like to talk to him, myself, before any decisions are made."  The professor stated sternly into their minds.  In the midst of all this arguing no one noticed Rogue silently slip out the door and make her way down to the med lab.

***X-Men's Infirmary***

            "Bon Jour, chere."  Rogue heard as she quietly entered the room, she knew she made no noise that could have alerted him to her presence.  She didn't even know why she was here, just that she wanted to get to know him; he made something turn in her stomach, and not in a bad way either.  She knew it was ridiculous, all the bad things she had heard in the Professor's office, but than again the same things that he was being accused of, could be very easily accused of her when she worked with her foster mother, Mystique.  And not to mention the fact that Storm thought very highly of him, maybe he wasn't all that bad, maybe he could help her with her nightmares of all the people she had hurt when she was younger.

            "Um, hi sugah…am ah interruptin?" Rogue asked a little shyly.  

            Remy opened his eyes and stared at her, then let a smile grace his lips.  "A femme as beautiful as y' chere, non y' could never be interruptin' little ole Remy."  With that Rogue approached his bedside and began to talk at first it was how impressed she was when he was fighting Sabretooth, than it was questions about Mystique and how he knew her, which he explained quite openly and honestly.  They talked for hours into the night.  They became so consumed in their conversation that neither of them notice the quiet humm of the Professor's hover chair, if they would have, they could have seen a small smile grace his lips as he hovered away, leaving the talk till the morning.  

***The Next Day, Xavier's Study***

"So, Professor, Remy been tinking, and t' be honest I still don' know if ahm a prisoner?"  Remy said as he lunged back smoking a cigarette.  The Professor allowed him to smoke in his study after all, Logan continually walked around with that lit cigar.

"Well Remy, I had talked to all my students, and most of them were pretty indifferent about what to do with you, but there were three that felt you should not be detained against your will.  But before we discuss that, I was wondering, why did you bring that information to Dr. McCoy?"  The Professor asked calmly, trying to send soothing tones in his voice.

"I take it Stormy tol' y' bout de massacre in de tunnels.  Remy was young and naïve den, a lot of mutants dead 'cuz of me.  I tought dat maybe I could make it up t' de world, ease my consciousness a lil' bit.  Sinister won' have helped de world, but Remy knows his research would b' helpful.  So I figured dat maybe dis ease m' mind a 'lil.  Gambit may be many t'ings, but de one t'ing I don' wanna be…is a murderor.  Maybe helping de rest of de world could atone for m' sins of m' youth."  Remy said casually as he exhaled some smoke into the air.

"That's what I was hoping to hear, for a number of reasons, one, Ororo was very much against holding you prisoner.  Logan stated that we probably couldn't if we tried.  And well, I can't be sure, but judging by Rogue's visit to your bedside last night speaks of anything, it's that she has found a kindred spirit in you.  So I was thinking, Remy Lebeau, would you like to join my X-Men, fight and make the world a better place for mutants.  Protect those that need protection?"  Xavier sat there calmly with his chin placed in his folded hands staring at the young man across from his desk.

Remy stared back at the Professor.  One thought running through his mind.  'Could I make a difference?'  The answer to his own silent question, and that of Xavier's was the same.

"Couldn' hurt t' try."

To Be Continued…

A/N:  Well I know its been a LONG time, but I'm sorry and here's the next part.  It shouldn't be a long wait for the next chapter, definitely not as long as the wait for this one was.  Once again, I hope it didn't disappoint.  

For those that Reviewed:

Rehsh:  Yeah, I know Remy is a name all of its own, and lets look at it this way, Sinister named him Remington, a good Victorian Era name, but when Jena Luc took over guardianship he renamed him Remy, a good Cajun name.  So his birth certificate says Remy, buy Sinister doesn't acknowledge that.

Azurielle:  As you can see, I will finish this, it just may take some time.

Acadian Angel:  Glad you found it.

Brazos:  Looks like he's getting more than breakfast after all.

Evoluationary Step Backwards:  Looks as if your mind control is a little Rusty.

Well I know others reviewed, but not many questions or comments, so, there you have it.


	4. We Can Be Heroes

----------------------Remy Essex Lebeau:  The Road to Forgiveness-----------------

Disclaimer:  I have no rights to any recognizable characters contained with in this Fiction Produced by me, a Fan.  All characters are owned by Marvel Comics.  I will not make any money off the story you are about to read.

Summary:  This is an Alternate Universe where Remy Lebeau is the son of Nathaniel Essex (Mr. Sinister) and Maria Lebeau (Jean Luc Lebeau's sister).  This is the story of his life.  Some events taken place in the actual Marvel Universe, but for the most part this is no specific timeframe to place this in.

Now on with the Story…

--------------------------Chapter 4: We Can be Heroes----------------------------------------------

"That's what I was hoping to hear, for a number of reasons, one, Ororo was very much against holding you prisoner.  Logan stated that we probably couldn't if we tried.  And well, I can't be sure, but judging by Rogue's visit to your bedside last night speaks of anything, it's that she has found a kindred spirit in you.  So I was thinking, Remy Lebeau, would you like to join my X-Men, fight and make the world a better place for mutants.  Protect those that need protection?"  Xavier sat there calmly with his chin placed in his folded hands staring at the young man across from his desk.

Remy stared back at the Professor.  One thought running through his mind.  'Could I make a difference?'  The answer to his own silent question, and that of Xavier's was the same.

"Couldn' hurt t' try."

            That was two weeks ago.  The X-Men seemed like a nice bunch of do gooders.  He had heard of them of course.  But never actually meet someone he could have recognized as an X-Man.  Of course there was Ororo and Logan, but Ororo was not an X-Man at the time, and Logan did not reveal himself to be one, well to be honest Logan was a little preoccupied at the time.

            He never realized what he was missing in the solitary life he had been living over the past couple years until he bared witness to the interaction of his new team mates.  So many mutants here, he wondered if he'd ever feel accepted, of course that didn't matter to him, mainly due to the fact that he was not here to be accepted.  And ironically the likes of Archangel, Iceman, Cyclops, Shadowcat, and Psycloke were determined that he knew it.

            Remy still remembered the first time he felt the loathing coming off one of these five.

***Begin: Iceman and the Danger Room***

^^^The Control Room of the Danger Room^^^

            Cyclops watched from above as these two fought side by side in the Danger Room.  He wondered briefly why the Professor paired 'Gambit' and Bobby up in a session.  For the past week 'Gambit's' sessions have only been with Ororo, Logan, and Rogue.  The two female X-Men were the only ones who opened up to him.  While Logan didn't really open up to him, he also held no malice towards the newest X-Man.

            He understood why Ororo was so close to 'Gambit', but had to yet figure out what Rogue saw in him.  He had confronted her about it earlier, but she went nuts.  He still remembered her exact words when he said 'It's not good idea to get to close to the X-Marauder.'

            'Ya'll maybe mah boss on tha field Cyke, but ya ain't meh boss off tha field.'  And with that she stormed off.  He had not brought it up again.  

            Arguing coming over the speaker brought Cyclops's attention back to the Danger Room.

^^^In The Danger Room^^^

            "Iceman, would y' watch de blasts, dis here Cajun don' like de cold much."  Gambit screamed.

            "Listen Gambit, the X-Men have a goal; save the innocents, not 'murder' them.  Right now there's a thirty-foot Sentinel towering over innocents.  If we were in an actual situation, Trust me, I wouldn't think twice of letting ice hit you, after all what's one less marauder when all these innocents could be saved from that 'sacrifice.'"  Iceman yelled back, voice full of venom.

            Before Iceman knew what happened the Sentinel exploded and shock the ground.  Well in all honesty it shook the entire Danger Room and part of the mansion as well.  A headless Sentinel toppled over and struck the ground with a thunderous thud barely missing the spot where Iceman stood.  Gambit was crouched on the back of the fallen sentinel's shoulder.

            "You could have killed me!  Why didn't you give some warning that you were gonna blow its head off!"  Iceman screamed in rage at the shrug expression of his Cajun teammate.

            "No time mon ami.  Dere were innocents t' b' saved.  And if de cost was 'after party slushies' f'r de survivors, courtesy of a crushed Ice-boy.  Den so be it."  Remy said with out a hint of remorse as he left through the now opened Danger Room doors where miscellaneous X-Men began to pile in; to see what the cause of the sudden quake was.

***End: Iceman and the Danger Room***

            Than there was Nightcrawler, Colossus, Beast, Phoenix and Wolverine.  They didn't go out of their way to be hostile; some of them actually tried to be accepting while others just tolerated him.  Maybe that's why these five Gambit would occasionally call by their real names.  

            Stormy was another matter.  She of course accepted him, and they spent much time together.  He rarely called her Storm or Ororo, which was quite to her displeasure.  He acknowledged her as Stormy.  She didn't condemn him like some of the others.  She didn't forgive him either as she said a couple days after he joined the team.

***Begin: Stormy and her garden***

            "Y know Stormy, I've always wondered what would happen if y' and ole Remy met up again?"  Remy said to Ororo as he helped weed her garden.

            Ororo replied as she concentrated small rain showers over the plants that needed water.  "Yes, Remy…it was something that I always hoped for.  It is good to see you my friend."

            "Y' not ashamed o' Remy, are y' Stormy?"  Remy asked quite hesitantly looking down into the flowerbed.

            Ororo turned to face her long lost friend.  She walked towards him and lifted his chin so his eerie Red on black eyes, met her bright blue ones.  "Ashamed of what Remy, your profession…I can be hardly one to judge that.  For I used to delve in the arts of thieving myself."

            "Not dat, y' know what I'm asking 'bout.  Dose mutants I helped kill.  Are y' sure dat I'm not an embarrassment t' y' in front of y' teammates."  Remy replied still trying to avoid her gaze.

            Ororo placed one hand on his cheek to keep him from turning his head away.  Now forcing him to keep eye contact, she spoke sternly.  "Remy, I have never known you to care so much about what another thinks of you.  But I will tell you this, the Morlock Massacre was horrible.  The morlocks were people I swore to protect.  They are dead now, and I guess you are partly to blame.  But I also know that you would never have done such a thing if it could have been avoided.  I cannot forgive you, for it is not my place.  But I will not judge you.  It is not in my right to do either of the two.  That right remains to the goddess herself."

            Remy looked deep into Ororo's eyes, he could sense her sincerity, he could feel her friendship.  He than pulled her close to him and whispered something very softly that if you weren't Ororo, you would not have been close enough to hear.  "Stormy…I promise you, I will spend every day of my life trying to be the man you think I am, the man I want to be.  I will become a friend, you can be proud of."

            Ororo whispered just as softly, "I have no doubt you will become that man…because you already are."  She than let out a sigh before she continued speaking, "But Stormy is not an acceptable name."

***End: Stormy and her garden***

            And than there was Rogue, the lovely lady her sat across from him at this very moment.  Ever since that first moment he saw her as she answered the door, he felt attracted.  Her perfect southern drawl, the exotic white strip of bangs.  Her face was all smiles.  Than the night that they talked in the infirmary.  She listened to him and even told a few stories of when she was on the wrong side of the game.  Her foster mama, Raven was an old associate of his, and to see that she raised such a polite and respectful young woman, well it was a brain bender.  He had noticed that she seemed to have inherited Raven's temper.  Over the course of these past two weeks, he had noticed several times when she blew up at a fellow X-Man.  He did not want to upset this super strong lass, that was for sure.  

            Remy was broke of his train of thoughts when Rogue called attention to his wandering mind.  "Remy sugah, am ah that boring?"  She asked.

            "Non chere, Remy just b' tinking about how I don' fit in at de mansion."  Remy sighed as he looked down into his cup of coffee.

            "Sugah, ya' know ah didn't fit in either, not until ah proved mahself.  It just takes time."  Rogue said as she sipped her coffee.  The atmosphere of the place was beautiful; it allowed her to forget about all that troubled her, namely her powers.

            "I don't know cher, Remy don' think it'll work wit time.  Y' and Stormy, y' two b' de only ones dat seem t' want me around, and sometimes I wonder why y' talk t' me."  Remy said as he flagged down the waitress.

            "Now Rem, Ah know ya'll ain't pulling dat self pity trick on meh.  Yah forget ah be tha one thaht perfected it.  Ah went through tha same thing when ah first joined.  Puhlease, ah tried ta kill tha X-Men on more than one account."  Rogue said as she reached her glove hand across the table to squeeze his gently.

            Remy paid the waitress and stood up.  "perhaps we b' heading back now, de other's might t'ink dat dis here Cajun kidnapped y'.  After all we only told dem we b' out f'r a cup of coffee, not six?"  Remy said as he pulled her up and flashed her, what he believed was a charming smile to get off the topic they were currently delved in.

            Remy and Rogue made their way back to the mansion, but what they found when they returned was shocking, smoke could be seen rising from the Xavier's Estate, it looked as if it had been under attack.  Remy increased the speed of his bike as Rogue shouted from behind him that she was going to take a closer look.  She flew off ahead of Remy to see what remains were left.

            Remy stopped abruptly in front of the ruins of the school.  It looked like a war zone.  Rogue finally came bursting through the rubble holding something in her arms.  At first Remy could not tell what it was, until she landed gently in front of him.  She was holding the limp form of Professor Xavier.  

            "Rogue, we need t' get him medical help, did y' see anyone else?"  Remy asked with a worried tone.  Before Rogue could reply though, a giant aircraft settled on the grounds close to them.  Remy turned his head trying to figure out where the hell that came from.

            Rogue rushed off to the plane though, just as the hatch opened and a barrage of mutants filtered out.  

            "Rogue, what happened to the Professor?"  A young woman cried out.

            "Tabitha, we ain't got time for that.  I want you and Theresa to get to work and see if we can't patch him up."  The young blonde man stood there with goggles on his forehead and a haunted expression that no man so young should ever have to wear.

            Another young boy with a star tattoo over his eye approached.  "Miss Rogue, what happened here?"

            "Ah don't know 'Star, meh and Remy just got back, and that was left is what ya'll see."  Rogue said with a lot of emotion hid in her voice.

            "Sam…Rogue, come quick the Professor is trying to say something."  The blonde girl called Tabitha shouted from the aircraft.  Everyone rushed in, they all gathered around his side.

            The professor looked up, his eyes glanced over each one of them.  First his eyes found Rogue, than they glanced over his two female nurses, Theresa Cassidy, aka Siryn, and Tabitha Smith, aka Meltdown.  His eyes shifted to James Proudstar, aka Warpath and Shatterstar, aka well Shatterstar.  He than looked up at Sam Guthrie, also called Cannonball, before his eyes finally found Remy, he than spoke softly, never once breaking eye contact.  "Sinister, he came, he took them all.  You can save them, you have to save them."  Finally his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell asleep.

            All of X-Force turned to Sam Guthrie, the team meber who has been leading them since the disappearance of Cable, their leader, as if questioning what to do.  Sam in turn, turned towards who he thought was the only full fledged X-Man Rogue.  Rogue wasn't a leader, she never had been, and probably never would be, and her concern was evident.  She flustered a response.  Gambit spoke up, saving her from the dilemma.

            "De Prof mentioned an associate o' his, Dr. MacTaggart?  Some place called Muir Isle?  Maybe we should get him dere?"  Gambit said after thinking a bit.  

            "That's a good plan…ummm I don't know you?"  Sam said after he realized in the confusion of their arrival, this new person was here.

            "His names Gambit, sugah, a new X-Man, we can take ya'll P.A.C.R.A.T, right?"  Rogue said answering for Gambit.  Sam nodded his head, than they all filtered to their seats aboard the aircraft.

            With that they got the Professor strap down in the small medical unit of X-Force's ship, Tabitha and Theresa kept a watchful eye over Professor Xavier while Sam and Rogue took the controls.  Gambit stared solemnly out the window, memories of his father flying through his head.  Memories of his father and the being called Sinister smashed together.  Before he knew it, they had landed the P.A.C.R.A.T. and do to a call ahead, Moira MacTaggert was waiting for them, with enough medical staff to treat a small battalion.  Gambit felt somewhat out of place, so he left X-Force and Rogue to see after the Professor.  He wandered to a cliff near the medical facility and stared out at the sea.  

            He was standing there watching some dolphins playing in the water when Rogue and Sam came walking out, in a deep discussion.  Rogue looked perturbed, almost a little helpless while Sam looked distraught, and slightly scared.  

            "Rogue, don't you understand, whole teams who wear the 'X' have taken on Sinister and failed.  What good is X-Force gonna be?"  Sam let out exasperated.

            "So what ya'll saying Sammy?  Thaht we leave em there?  Ah will not do thaht!"  Rogue said frustrated.

            "Now hold on Rogue, I don't want to leave them there anymore then you do, but since Cable disappeared, I've been thrusted into leadership, I can't lead an assault, I wouldn't even know where to start."  Sam said, before adding, "It's not like I can turn to X-Factor, latest reports has, they headquarters was ransacked just like the Mansion at the same time.  If Sinister was able to coordinate that, X-Force doesn't have the man power Rogue."

            "And ah don't think we'll be able ta find Generation X, Moira said she been calling since we radio'd her and told her what happened.  We're on are own Sammy." Rogue said as she slouched against the rail next to Gambit.

            "It's suicide Rogue.  We both know it."  Sam finally said after a five-minute silence.  Sam had his head in his arms, propped up against the rail next to Rogue.  "But we're the last of any X-Team…what do we do?"

I, I wish you could swim   
Like the dolphins, like dolphins can swim   
Though nothing, nothing will keep us together   
We can beat them forever and ever   
We can be heroes, just for one day

Gambit pointed towards the dolphins, and then turned his head towards Sam, the reluctant leader of X-Force, and Rogue, the only other X-Man on active duty beside himself, not in Sinister's clutches.  He said, "Sinister, he'll find us, y' can count on dat.  It seems he's after everyone who wears de 'X'."

Oh I, I will be king   
And you, you will be queen   
Though nothing, nothing will drive them away   
We can be heroes, just for one day   
We can be, yes, it's just for one day

            "We can take him, y' and Remy…wit' dere help."  Gambit said as he took Rogue's gloved hand and nodded his head towards Sam to emphasis the 'them' that he spoke.

I, I remember   
Standing by the wall   
The guns, they shot above our heads   
And we kissed, as though nothing could fall   
And the shame was on the other side   
Oh, we can beat them, forever and ever   
Then we could be heroes, just for one day

            "Remy…he…I was happy wit' y' cher, I was happy wit'de X-Men but den Sinister came and screwed m' life all up again.  We can beat him, I can find him."  Gambit said as he pulled an emotional Rogue into a hug.

            "How can you be so sure Gambit?"  Sam asked breaking the silence caused by Rogue and Gambit's embrace of comfort.

            Gambit looked down at Rogue, "Because I have bef're.  Dere's some ting I lied t' y' about Rogue."  Gambit said as he let go of Rogue and tilted her head to look into his eyes.  

            "What?"  Rogue asked quietly.

            "Sinister, he's m' father.  M' birth father, dat's why Remy trusted him about de tunnels."  Gambit said, he turned his head to avoid seeing Rogue's reaction before he said.  "Do y' hate m' cher?"

We can be heroes   
We can be heroes   
We can be heroes   
We can be heroes, just for one day

            "No, sugah, o' course not, meh mamma was Mystique.  Member?"  Rogue said as she pulled his face so he could see the honesty in his eyes.  

            "What do y' think Sammy?  Care t' follow m' into hell?"  Gambit said when he realized that neither of them condemned him for his father's sins.

            "I think…we can be heroes."  And with that Cannonball clasped his hand into Gambit's in a sign of trust, friendship, and respect.

            "If just for one day…" Gambit replied meeting Sam's gesture.

  
We can be heroes   
We can be heroes   
We can be heroes   
We can be heroes, just for one day

            Moira stood along side Professor Charles Xavier's bed.  She stared out the window in his room, from here she could see the disappearing outline of X-Force's P.A.C.R.A.T., their transportation and mobile headquarters.  She looked down at Charles and studied his sleeping face.  "Deir a fine bunch of lads and lassies.  Dinnae know if ye be proud Charles.  But ye should be."

            Charles eyes fluttered open a second, his eyes sought out the same thing that Moira just commented on.  "I am Moira…trust me."  Charles said before using the last of his strength to send a telepathic message to all aboard the P.A.C.R.A.T.  'Good Luck, I am so proud of you all, I want you all to know…win or lose:  You all are heroes, and even more, you all have always been heroes as well…as well  as X-Men.'  And then the Professor was able to fall into a comfortable sleep, one filled with hope.

            "That they are Charles.  We cannae deny it, Dose young ones are heroes as well as X-Men."  Moira said softly as she patted Charles's hand, and turned quietly and left the room.

  
We can be heroes   
We can be heroes   
We can be heroes   
We can be heroes, just for one day

To Be Continued

A/N:  Well, this would have been out earlier, but I moved, than had to wait for the Cable company to hook my internet up.  But at least it wasn't as long the last wait huh.  I don't usually use songs, but I thought it fit it the end.  For those who don't know the song was 'Heroes' by the Wallflowers and off the Godzilla Soundtrack.  Anyways, tell me what you think.

For those who review:

Ishandahalf:  Every time you review, it feels like I've been sucked into Adam West World.  Anyways, thanks for reviewing.

Christy S:  I hope you like the direction I took it.

Valiowk:  Thanks for the review.

Darkelf:  It did feel kind of rushed, didn't it, but I only envisioned this fic to have 5-6 chapters, it looks like another chapter than a small epilogue, I do have an idea for a sequel, maybe I'll tell the title out at the end of the story.  We'll see.

RB:  Yay!

Elanor:  How's your head, I know I didn't feel a thing.  Anyways, here was another chapter.


End file.
